View Vacancy - Trade Advisor on Future Opportunities (05/17 ACC) (INTERNAL)

West Africa is a growing and diverse region with opportunites across a range of sectors that the UK has expertise in. It has significant long-term economic potential with vast natural resources and a young and growing population. As a result West Africa offers a wide array of business opportunities , especially in the oil and gas sector but also increasingly in areas such as renewable energy, infrastructure and agriculture. Current trade figures are good but we want to do better. 

As part of the British Government’s commitment to increasing UK exports worldwide to £1 trillion by 2020, the UK’s trade team in West Africa, with offices in Lagos, Abuja, Accra, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea,and Senegal is developing a trade strategy to identify and better tap into this vast potential and increase trade between the UK and West Africa.  The Ghana team is also shifting to a regional approach, working with trade colleagues in Nigeria, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea and Senegal to maximise the trading relationship with the UK across West Africa.

We are looking for a highly organised person with a strong attention to detail, ability to take the initiative, work accurately within deadlines and with limited supervision, and be a strong team member who works collaboratively.  Note that this role does not cover Nigeria which is managed separately, but you will liaise closely with your counterpart in Nigeria to ensure a consistent regional approach.

Main purpose of job:

To build interest among UK business in exporting their goods or services to Ghana and other parts of West Africa; to work closely with British companies exploring their exporting options in the region; to provide market insight and sector-specific analysis according to their needs (on a chargeable basis); identify export opportunities for UK companies and to support the UK Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC) to transfer over time trade services.

Key Responsibilities :

• Working with the Regional Future Opportunities team leader, based in Lagos, to understand the business sectors in Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Senegal, Guinea and Sierra Leone with the greatest potential for British companies to succeed in, outside of oil and gas; 
• Develop a comprehensive research strategy covering Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Senegal, Guinea and Sierrla Leone to seek out potential big high value opportunities in the multi million pound range, to help enable UK companies to achieve maximum opportunity of winning contracts;  
• Develop a coherent and compelling evidence base to demonstrate the multi-million pound scale of these opportunities in the afore mentioned markets;        
• Work with UK companies to help position them for business success, to demonstrate the value and potential in new sectors; Work with colleagues in East and Southern Africa, Scottish Development International, Department for International Development and Prosperity Officers in our offices to identify synergies and linkages between current and future business opportunities across Sub-Saharan Africa;
• Work with the West Africa Trade Director, Head of Trade for Ghana, High Commissioners/Ambassadors in the afore mentioned posts to plan and undertake visits to the region in a carefully co-ordinated fashion, where the best potential opportunities have been identified;
• Work with the UK Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC) to co-ordinate delivery of services to UK business with a view to transitioning these over time.

Roles and responsibilities:

•  Support the Future Opportunities team leader in Lagos to build a coherent plan to develop potential opportunities into actual business success for UK companies;
•  Work with the Trade Advisers in Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Senegal and Guinea to contribute to delivery of the team’s business targets and ensuring opportunities and interactions in these posts are communicated and shared with the team in a timely manner.
• Build relationships with Regional Government Departments in the afore mentioned countries, agencies,   companies and other organisations, to support the trade team’s ability to help British companies position themselves appropriately to land business deals. 
• Develop a coherent and targeted travel plan for the Head of Trade, Ghana to pursue business matters and build further insight into opportunities across the afore mentioned countries, providing timely reports to the trade team of such meetings and activity.Work closely with colleagues across the UK Government platform in these countires to share information and co-ordinate trade-relevant visits and activity; 
• Attend some out of hours events, such as receptions, to build relationships with relevant Ghanaian contacts.  

• Strong oral and written English communication skills;
• Excellent IT skills with ability in MS Office suite applications e.g. Outlook, Excel, Word and PowerPoint;
• Ability to effectively work under tight deadlines;
• Resourcefulness in solving problems;
• Good interpersonal skills and comfortable dealing with high level officials;
• Flexible;
• Strong organizational skills and keen attention to detail;
• Superior professionalism and judgment;
• Strong work ethic.